Tour de France was Froome's tour de force

Dominant for 3 weeks, cyclist gives Britain back-to-back champs

Associated Press

Associated Press

Published 9:18 pm, Sunday, July 21, 2013

PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 21: Chris Froome of Great Britain and SKY Procycling (C) celebrates as he crosses the finish line flanked by teammates David Lopez (L) and Richie Porte during the twenty first and final stage of the 2013 Tour de France, a processional 133.5KM road stage ending in an evening race around the Champs-Elysees, on July 21, 2013 in Paris, France. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 169057550

PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 21: Chris Froome of Great Britain and SKY...

*** BESTPIX *** PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 21: Winner of the 2013 Tour de France, Chris Froome of Great Britain and SKY Procycling drives the pace from the Arc d'Triomphe during the twenty first and final stage of the 2013 Tour de France, a processional 133.5KM road stage ending in an evening race around the Champs-Elysees, on July 21, 2013 in Paris, France. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 160075337

Chris Froome won the 100th Tour de France on Sunday, having dominated rivals over three weeks on the road and adroitly dealt with doping suspicions off it.

In two years, Britain has now had two different winners: Bradley Wiggins in 2012 and then Froome, a cooler, calmer, more understated but no less determined character than his Sky teammate with famous sideburns.

Froome rode into Paris in style — in the canary yellow race leader's jersey he took on Stage 8 in the Pyrenees and never relinquished, vigorously fending off rivals whose concerted challenges turned this Tour into a thriller. Froome and his Sky teammates linked arms as they rode for the line.

The 100th edition was visually stunning, too, starting with a first-ever swing through Corsica, France's so-called "island of beauty," before veering through the Pyrenees to Brittany and then across France to the race's crescendo in the Alps — 2,115 grueling miles in total.

Uniquely, the 100th Tour treated itself to a late-afternoon start for its final Stage 21 so the riders raced a few hours later on the cobbles of the Champs-Elysees as the sun cast golden hues over the peloton and the shadows lengthened over the dense, cheering crowds.

French Air Force jets in formation trailed red, white and blue smoke in the skies about the leafy avenue as the peloton powered up it for the first time and, exceptionally, circled like a necklace around the Arc de Triomphe in their brightly colored team jerseys.

After setting off from the magnificent Versailles Palace, the former residence of three kings and their seat of power until the French Revolution of 1789, the riders were granted the privilege of meandering through the chateau's manicured gardens, past lakes like mirrors, spurting fountains and statues looking on stonily.

As per tradition and because Froome's big race lead made him untouchable, Sunday's 82-mile final ride was a largely leisurely affair until the pace picked up sharply on the Champs-Elysees.

Marcel Kittel won the final sprint on that famous avenue, the German's sprinter's fourth stage win of this Tour.

Riders pedaled up to Froome to offer congratulations; he sipped from a flute of champagne as he rode; a Tour organizer stuck an arm from his car window to shake Froome's hand.

Peter Sagan colored his beard green to celebrate the green jersey he won for picking up the most points in sprints over the three weeks.

"It's a dream to arrive in yellow on the Champs-Elysees," Froome said before leading the pack from Versailles. "C'est formidable."

His efforts to speak French have been gratefully noted by TV commentators here.

Froome's clear physical superiority made him an overwhelming favorite going into the Tour and carried him through it.

His winning margin of more than 5 minutes was the largest since 1997, when Jan Ullrich — who has since admitted to doping — beat Richard Virenque — who also confessed to using performance-enhancers — by 9 minutes and 9 seconds.

Lance Armstrong had larger margins of victory than Froome but all seven of the Texan's wins were stripped from him last year for serial doping.

In the Tour's official history book, Armstrong's name has literally been crossed out.

As the first Tour champion since that shock wave, Froome rode through a barrage of doubt and skepticism, especially since his strength in the mountains and time trials reminded some observers of Armstrong and the way he and his team used to suffocate the race.

Froome's three stage victories — in the Pyrenees, on Mont Ventoux in Provence and in a mountainous trial — were the most for a Tour winner since Armstrong got five in 2004, results now annulled.

At 28, Froome is entering his peak years as a bike racer.

His prowess on climbs and in time trials gives him the essential ingredients to win more Tours.